Tuesday, 25 August 2015

Writer's block - and how to get rid of it

Time is passing by, and you are still here staring at the screen with
little to no words on your document. You feel a headache coming on,
and you know that you should be writing, but you just don't have any
inspiration to. Your mind draws a blank. We have all experienced this
feeling before.

You guessed it: Writer's block. A dreaded
feeling that leaves us squirming, trying to pour out words before the
deadline of our essays, or trying to push out an article every Friday
for our blog. It's a horrible feeling. Surprisingly, writer's block can be
more than no desire to write. It can also be your fear of talking. Here
are a few tips to cure your writer's block:

Talk to the little voice inside your head

Whether
it's for your college professor or an article for thousands to read,
thinking about whom will read it and what they will think about it can
be daunting. So, forget about them and create a little voice in your
head. That voice is your best friend, your number one fan, and loves
everything that you put out. Talking to this voice will ease the anxiety
you feel, thus providing a cure to your writer's block.

Take breaks

Maybe
you are just tense and need a break, and that is okay! Go wash the
dishes, get up and stretch, take a shower, or do anything you need to do
before getting back into the zone. Taking your mind off your writing
could be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing. Forcing
ideas to pop up in your head may actually be hindering your creativity.
Inspiration for something genius can come when you least expect it.

Take a trip

Go
to the park. Go see a friend that you haven't seen in ages. Just go
somewhere, but there is a kicker: don't drive. Take a taxi, or bus, or
even a plane. But don't forget your writing tools. Think about some
ideas for your essay or article and jot them down as you ride. Don't
stop until you arrive at your destination.

Don't plan your posts

A
deadline could speed up the writing process, but it may end up making
the writing not as good as it can be and making you feel very bad if you missed it. So, write on your own time. You
may have lost motivation for a particular essay. Write whatever comes to
your mind. That one spark may turn into a masterpiece.

Try writing at a different place

Getting
up and leaving your work space may actually cure your writer's block.
If you can, get up and leave that environment. Go to your local park, or
Starbucks, or if you can't go to those places, just get up and move
away from your desk. Take your laptop or iPad and just write.

Reread your past writing

If
you have some old posts, go back and read them. Sometimes we lose
motivation and need something to motivate us. Remember your very first
post, or your very best post? Go back and read them word by word. You
may be doubting your writing skills and need something to start you up
again. That great writer is still inside you, and didn't go anywhere.
See how great you are? Sometimes a little reminder is all we need to
regain our confidence.

Try writing at a different time of day

Fixed
schedules may become a part of our daily routines. Many famous writers
have done it. Getting into a habit can be a good thing, but what if that
habit becomes associated with something negative or boring? Change it
around a little and experiment. Try writing in the early morning or late
night. You may find yourself even more inspired.

Stealing ideas is okay

Your
desire to be original may be causing your writer's block all together.
You have a great idea, but it has already been done before. That's okay!
Take that idea and make it your own, but don't outright plagiarize and
copy that person. Grab ideas from different sources and mix them
together to make your own creation. Read and research your topics and
use those ideas in your next piece. As Austin Kleon says: “All creative
work builds on what came before.”

Don't compare yourself to other people

It's
good to read other people's work, but comparing your writing skills to
their's may stop you from writing to your full potential. Your talents
are unique. You should be embarrassing those talents for yourself
without feeling that envy. Your basic and strait-to-the-point style of
writing may communicate with your readers more than Author X's use of
fancy words and vibrant metaphors. You will feel much better about your
writing if you stopped comparing yourself to others. As well as to writing, this can of course also be applied to the beauty & fashion bloggers out there, you are your own unique self, so don't compare yourself to others.

Just write, editing can come later

Attempting
to create the perfect piece of literature can discourage you from
finishing it. Stop trying to be perfect. Accept the fact that your rough
draft may be crappy. Just write as fast as you can. Editing can come
afterwards.

Don't let your fear of criticism stop you

Haters
lurk everywhere, in everyday life and the internet, and at least one
person may not like you. You just have to deal with it and not let it
get under your skin. What a few people think about your beliefs and
writing in general should not affect you or your actions. Do not let
them feel you with fear of getting your voice heard. It's not the end of
the word. You are special and your talents should not go unheard.
Letting go of the fear of negative criticism is one step towards
eliminating writer's block. Remember: Haters gonna hate.

Google things for inspiration

If
you are having trouble finding a topic to write about, Google it. It's
one of the most valuable tools right at your fingertips. Think of
something you are passionate about and type it into the search bar.
Google never fails.

I
hope this provided some relief to your (potential) writer's block.

Sure, there are
countless ways to cure it, but I just stated some of the most effective
and common ways.

28 comments

Loved reading these tips! While I never really plan posts, sometimes if I have an idea & usually jot it down or put a note of it in my phone, then later on when I’m stuck I have a little list of ideas! Thanks for sharing your tips. I will have to try some next time!

I did a post a while back like this, and it was one of my most popular ones! Myself and lot of other people found it very helpful, and I found this post very helpful! Well written and lovely as always :)

this is definitely helpful also for those who suffer from the similar problems- creative block. As an architecture student I tend to go through writer's + creative block. This is so helpful Michelle! Thanks for sharing ^_^

Great post!! I love your tips! This is very helpful for me, thanks for sharing!<3(it's so hard to not compare my writings with others *sobs*)Btw, thanks for following me! I'm following your blog and I love your blog, too :D

Taking a trip to a new environment always helps me write. If I have real bad writer's block, I'll just go to a library or coffee shop and make up a story about a stranger sitting there. It helps! But I do think the most important tip in any creative field is NOT compare yourself to others, just like you mentioned. You can only compare your work to your previous work, nothing else.